Refuge

From BiblePortal Wikipedia

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary [1]

This word is of very plain and obvious signification; and it is blessed to see in the Scriptures of truth how sweetly accommodating all the persons of the Godhead are brought home to the believer's heart under the figurative language of refuge. Hence in allusion to God the Father, Moses was commissioned to tell the church this grand and all-supporting truth—"The eternal God is thy refuge; and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy before thee, and shall say, Destroy them." ( Deuteronomy 33:27) And the Lord Jesus Christ is the immediate refuge of his people, for he is said to be their hiding place and their covert from the storm and tempest. And how truly blessed is it to discover, that in his person, blood, and righteousness, as the glorious Head and Mediator of his redeemed, they are secretly and securely hid with Christ in God; so that neither law nor justice, sin nor Satan, death nor hell, the world nor the grave, can come to injure them. ( Psalms 32:7;  Isaiah 32:2) And no less so is God the eternal Spirit, in his own sovereign power and GODHEAD; for he by his gracious influences stamps the whole authority of redemption on the hearts of his people, gives them his earnest of the promised possession, and effectually seals their souls unto the day of redemption. ( 2 Corinthians 5:5;  Ephesians 1:13)

Under this article of refuge, it will be proper to notice those cities of refuge, which the Lord appointed under the Old Testament dispensation, as a shelter for the manslayer who unintentionally killed another, and hated him not in times past. If the reader will consult the Scriptures which relate to those cities of refuge he will find a very ample account  Numbers 35:9-34;  Deuteronomy 19:1-13;  Joshua 20:1-9 throughout. And when he hath read the several particulars there recorded, he will discover that those cities of refuge were wholly intended to screen the unintentional murderer. And so exact was the law to be regarded, that on the poor fugitive's arrival at the suburbs of either of those cities, the congregation was to proceed on the subject of enquiry; and if any malice pretense was found in the mind towards the person he had murdered, the law enjoined that he should be taken even from the altar, and put to death.

And this security, even to the unintentional murderer, continued only while he remained in the city of refuge; for if he was found without the suburbs, the avenger of blood might by law kill him.

We are informed that the Israelites were so much interested in following up the divine commands concerning those cities of refuge, that the magistrates once in every year made a point to examine the roads leading to those cities from every direction, and to have them put in perfect repair, that no obstruction might be found to stop the fugitive in his flight from the avenger of blood pursuing him. And it is said, that at every opening there was placed a direction-post with the word Miklat upon it, (meaning refuge) as if to say, this is the way to the city of refuge. A beautiful type of the ministers of our God, who are supposed to be always as watchmen upon the walls of Zion crying aloud to sinners, murderers of their own souls, "to flee unto Christ as a refuge to lay hold of, and as an anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast within the vail." ( Hebrews 6:18-19)

There was somewhat very significant in the names of those cities, and it is not fanciful to remark their allusion to the purpose for which they were appointed. They are called Kedesh, Shechem, Kirjotharba, or Hebron. These were on this side Jordan. And on the other side, by Jericho eastward, there was Bezer in the wilderness of Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan in Bashan.

If, as we cannot but conclude from all the other parts of Scripture, that as every thing under the law typified the Lord Jesus Christ, so these cities of refuge had an eye to him, as the only shelter for soul-murderers, then we shall find somewhat remarkable in the names of those cities. Kedesh which signifies holy, was a beautiful memorandum of him concerning whom the Holy Ghost saith, by the apostle,  Hebrews 7:26 "Such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Shechem is the Hebrew for shoulder, or of one consent." And it is so translated in the margin of the Bible in  Zephaniah 3:9 which see. And it is no violence to the expression to make application of this word to him whose government was declared to be upon his shoulder,  Isaiah 9:6 line of the old writers, Raphelius, makes a very striking observation concerning this expression of the government being said to be upon Christ's shoulder; because said he we carry burdens on our shoulders, therefore Christ is said to carry his. And this he did when he became the Almighty burden-bearer of the sins of his people. The third name of those cities of refuge, Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron. (Kirjath-arba means the city of four, from Arba, four) Hebron signifies unity, fellowship, concord, or the like. And when sinners are brought into an union with Jesus, they are said to "have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." ( 1 John 1:3)

And the names of the three cities on the other side of Jordan were not less striking in allusion to Christ. Bezer or Bazar was used for a market place among the Eastern nations in after-ages; and Betzer meant an inclosure: so that in either sense the word is striking. As the man-slayer found in this city of refuge a blessed exchange, and a safe inclosure, both under one, so soul-murderers, when taking shelter in Christ, barter their sins for his righteousness, and find peace and safety in the blood of his cross. So Ramoth and Golan both read with an eye to Jesus, as they express exaltation and joy, may be supposed to imply the raising up of the depressed spirits of a sinner when fleeing to Christ for refuge, and finding him all he stands in need of, as well as that "joy and peace in belie ving, when abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost."

It is very blessed in reading the Old Testament Scripture, to discover in every part of it so much of the New. And when we are enabled, by the sweet teaching of the Holy Ghost, to discern Christ thus preached to our fathers in type and figure, what an infinite importance do such views tend to convey, when we find both in law and prophets every minute circumstance pointing to him who is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary [2]

Cities Of In order to provide for the security of those who, without design, might happen to kill a person, in whatever manner it should be, the Lord commanded Moses to appoint six cities of refuge,  Exodus 21:18;  Numbers 35:11 , &c, that whoever should undesignedly spill the blood of a fellow creature, might retire thither, and have time to prepare for his defence before the judges: so that the relatives of the deceased might not pursue and kill him. Of these cities there were three on each side Jordan. Those on this side Jordan were Kedesh of Naphtali, Hebron, and Shechem; those beyond Jordan were Bezer, Golan, and Ramoth-Gilead,  Joshua 20:7-8 . They served not only for the Hebrews, but for strangers also that should dwell in their country. These cities were to be of easy access, and to have good roads to them, and bridges wherever there should be occasion. The width of these roads was, at least, to be two-and-thirty cubits, or eight-and-forty feet. When there were any cross roads, they were careful to erect posts with an inscription pointing to the city of refuge. Every year, on the fifteenth of the month Adar, which answers to our February moon, the magistrates of the city visited the roads, to see if they were in good condition. The city was to be well supplied with water and provisions. It was not allowed to make any weapons there, lest the relatives of the deceased should be furnished with arms for the gratifying of their revenge. Lastly, it was necessary that whoever took refuge there, should understand a trade or calling, that he might not be chargeable to the inhabitants. They were wont to send some prudent persons to meet those who were pursuing their revenge for the relations, that they might dispose them to clemency, and persuade them to wait the decision of justice.

Though the man-slayer had fled to the city of refuge, yet he was not on this account exempted from the pursuit of justice. An information was preferred against him,  Numbers 35:12; he was summoned before the judges, and before the people, to clear himself, and to prove that the murder was merely casual and involuntary. If he was found innocent, he dwelt safely in the city to which he had retired; if otherwise, he was put to death according to the severity of the law. The following texts of Scripture are not very explicit whether the affair was under the cognizance of the judges of the place where the murder was committed, or of the judges of the city of refuge to which the murderer had fled,  Deuteronomy 19:11-12;  Joshua 20:4-6;  Numbers 35:25; and the commentators are at variance in this matter. But it appears, from a passage of Joshua, that the man-slayer was to undergo two trials; first, in the city of refuge, where the judges summarily examined the affair, and heard his allegations at his first arrival; secondly, when he was taken back to his own city, to be judged by the magistrates of the place, who took the cause under a more strict and scrupulous examination, If the latter judges declared him innocent, they had him reconducted, under a strong guard, to the city of refuge to which he had before fled. He was not, however, immediately liberated; but, to inspire the greater horror even of involuntary murder, it seems as if the law would punish it by a kind of banishment; for he was obliged to dwell in the city, without going out of it, till the death of the high priest; and if before that time he was imprudent enough to leave the city, the avenger of blood might safely kill him; but after the death of the high priest, he was at liberty to go whither he pleased without molestation.

It is a curious fact, that the North American Indian nations have most of them either a house or town of refuge, which is a sure asylum to protect a man-slayer, or the unfortunate captive, if they can once enter it. "In almost every Indian nation," says Adair, "there are several peaceable towns which are called old, beloved, ancient, holy, or white towns: (white being their fixed emblem of peace, friendship, prosperity, happiness, purity, &c:) they seem to have been formerly towns of refuge; for it is not in the memory of their oldest people that ever human blood was shed in them, although they often force persons from thence, and put them to death elsewhere."

Sanctuaries affording security for criminals are still known in the east, and anciently were established in Europe.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types [3]

 Deuteronomy 33:27 (a) This type is used to describe the rest, peace and safety of the child of GOD who, in the midst of the storms of life flies to the secret place of prayer and there leans upon the breast of his loving Lord. (See  Psalm 46:1;  Isaiah 25:4).

 2 Samuel 22:3 (a) David did not trust in his army, nor in the caves, nor the wilderness, nor men. He trusted only in the protecting care of GOD. (See  Psalm 9:9;  Psalm 14:6;  Psalm 48:3;  Psalm 57:1;  Psalm 59:16;  Psalm 62:7;  Psalm 91:2).

 Psalm 142:4 (a) All human devices and plans fail to bring security and peace. David wrote this Psalm while he was in a cave fleeing from Saul. His heart was resting in the Lord, not in the darkness of the cave.

 Proverbs 14:26 (a) As David, Moses and others of GOD's great men found a shelter from the storm in the protecting care of GOD, so this wise man assures us that that protection may be ours also.

 Isaiah 4:6 (a) GOD provides in Himself, and for Himself, all the protection from the storms of life that the believer needs. (See also  Isaiah 25:4;  Jeremiah 16:19;  Hebrews 6:18).

 Isaiah 28:17 (b) This is a graphic type of the false position taken by sinners who deceive themselves into thinking they are hidden and protected by false teachings, self-deceptions, and godless religions.

King James Dictionary [4]

REF'UGE, n. L. refugium, refugio re and fugio, to flee.

1. Shelter or protection from danger or distress.

- Rocks, dens and caves, but I in none of these find place or refuge.

We have made lies our refuge.  Isaiah 28 .

- We might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us.  Hebrews 6 .

2. That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity a strong hold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness any place inaccessible to an enemy.

The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats.  Psalms 104 .

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed.  Psalms 9 .

3. An expedient to secure protection or defense.

This last old man - their latest refuge was to send to him.

4. Expedient, in general.

Light must be supplied, among graceful refuges, by terracing any story in danger of darkness.

Cities of refuge, among the Israelites, certain cities appointed to secure the safety of such persons as might commit homicide without design. Of these there were three on each side of Jordan.  Joshua 20 .

REF'UGE, To shelter to protect.

Webster's Dictionary [5]

(1): ( n.) An expedient to secure protection or defense; a device or contrivance.

(2): ( v. t.) To shelter; to protect.

(3): ( n.) That which shelters or protects from danger, or from distress or calamity; a stronghold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; a place inaccessible to an enemy.

(4): ( n.) Shelter or protection from danger or distress.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [6]

Flee

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [7]

ref´ūj  : A place of resort and safety. The principal words in the Old Testament are מחסה , maḥṣeh (  Psalm 14:6;  Psalm 46:1;  Psalm 62:7 ,  Psalm 62:8;  Isaiah 4:6 , etc.), and מנוס , mānōṣ ( 2 Samuel 22:3;  Psalm 59:16 , etc.), both applied chiefly to God as a "refuge" for His people. For the King James Version "refuge" in  Deuteronomy 33:27 , the Revised Version (British and American) has "dwelling-place," and in  Psalm 9:9 , "high tower." Conversely, the Revised Version (British and American) has "refuge" for the King James Version "shelter" in  Psalm 61:3 , and "hope" in  Jeremiah 17:17 .

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